King Charles sends condolences to Colombia after strongest earthquake in a century
King Charles and Queen Camilla have issued a joint message of condolence to Colombia after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake — the country's strongest in the 21st century — killed more than 250 people and left over 3,800 missing.
The message, addressed "To the people of Colombia" and personally signed "Charles R.," was published on the Royal Family's official website, royal.uk, on 11 August 2026 and released late that Tuesday evening. In it, the King said he was "dreadfully saddened" and sent his "deepest sympathy and heartfelt condolences" to the nation. The Royal Family's official X account, @RoyalFamily, also shared the message, placing it in The King's Baton — the daily summary of royal activity circulated to the public.
The earthquake struck at 7.30am local time (1.30pm UK) on Monday, 10 August 2026, with its epicentre in the village of San José del Palmar in western Colombia, according to Reuters and the Associated Press. Tremors were felt across Manizales, Cali, and Pereira, and reached neighbouring Ecuador and Panama. President Abelardo de la Espriella met with his government, which declared a national disaster in the aftermath.
The casualty figures have climbed as search operations continue. Reuters, reporting on 10 August, initially put the death toll at more than 100. By the following day, AP quoted President de la Espriella confirming at least 181 deaths. Hello! magazine, reporting on 12 August, cited more than 250 dead and over 3,800 people still missing. Al Jazeera, also reporting on 11 August, had placed the number of missing at more than 2,700. The figures have risen as rescue teams reach affected areas.
Charles and Camilla were not alone among European royalty in responding. King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain, and Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco, also issued tributes to Colombia following the disaster.
The earthquake in Colombia came less than two months after twin quakes devastated northern Venezuela, killing more than 6,300 people — a regional catastrophe that had already drawn international attention to seismic risk in the region.
Charles's message follows the established form for royal condolences: a brief, personally signed statement released through official channels, addressed to the affected nation rather than to its head of state alone. The "R." in his signature stands for "Rex," the Latin for king, and is the form monarchs use on personal correspondence and official messages. The message is published alongside other royal communications on royal.uk, where it remains publicly accessible.
